Stemilt offers retail advice on Rushing River pears

New year, same great Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou pears from Stemilt and exactly what the retailer needs to take their pear category from good to World Famous.

Stemilt marketing director, Brianna Shales, explains how Stemilt’s early involvement in pear ripening is the differentiation point and the reason consumers are coming back for more. 

“Stemilt is a long-time leader in the category and our RipeRite™ ready to eat pear program is dedicated to delivering consumers dessert-quality pears just a day or two after purchase,” explains Shales. “It is one of the many action steps we take to delight our d’Anjou pear consumers and now is the best time to promote this winter pear variety.”

D’Anjou pear movement was up 10 percent year over year in the last 12 weeks according to the most recent Nielsen scan data ending on December 26. Dollars were also up three percent compared to last year, indicating that movement will continue, especially with the Bartlett season ending. 

“D’Anjou pears will become the main pear variety in the upcoming months and retailers should have bulk d’Anjou ads lined up in-store and online,” explains Shales. “Promoting on both platforms is equally important, especially as online grocery continues to be a go-to shopping avenue for many consumers.” 

For in-store merchandising, retailers should rely on the four P’s of marketing: product, placement, promotion and price. Retailers carrying Stemilt’s Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou pears should ensure the fruit is placed in strategic display spaces, promoted through ads or in-store specials, and incorporates informational signage about the fruit. Retailers also need to remember the 4 P’s for their online listings as well.  

“We’ve found that bags are a great option for merchandising pears online, as consumers understand the volume and quality they are getting through the product image and listing,” explains Shales. “We have both Lil Snappers® 3lb. bags and 5lb. bags to help retailers easily merchandise pears in online formats.”

With Stemilt’s long-time leadership in the category, they were the first to stop utilizing anti-ripening agents and determine the perfect ripening concoction for dessert-quality d’Anjou pears. Ripened pears help consumers enjoy the fruit within days of purchase and have proven to be category drivers by encouraging repeat sales because of consumer satisfaction. Delighting consumers with flavor is top of mind and what drives Stemilt’s team members to provide Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou pears to consumers across the country. 

“Our teams have put a lot of emphasis into our d’Anjou pears and it is apparent,” explains Shales. “It starts by growing pears in the best locales in the world, followed by excellent horticulture practices and packing and storage methods. Not only does this allow us to delight consumers every time, it leaves with them a juicy, sweet eating experience that has them coming back for more.”